Spring actuated sash balance



Oct. 27, 1953 A. coLoNNAV SPRING ACTUATED SASH BALANCE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NOV. 26, 195] Oct. 27, 1953 A. COLONNA 2,656,564

SPRING ACTUATED SASH BALANCE Filed Nov. 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY l Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING ACTUATllD SASH BALANCE Angelo Colonna, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application November 26, 1951, Serial N0. 258,167

3 Claims. l

The present invention relates to a structure which is characterized by a stationary support or frame structure, and a closure, such as a sash. slidably mounted in said frame structure and has more particular reference to a novelly constructed and improved closure balancing and retaining device.

The principal object of the invention is, of course, to dispense with sash cords and weights and friction-type sash holders and retainers and to employ in lieu thereof a spring activated balance which is interposed between the lower frame member or other closure and the underlying stool or equivalent portion of the stationary frame structure.

Another object of the invention is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly performing and constructed prior art spring controlled sliding closure balances by providing one which is highly simple, practical and unusually eilcient in operation, the great advantage being that the sash will be balanced at any point desired by the operator and will be allowed to readily move to open or closed positions with the greatest of ease and satisfaction.

Considered from a more specic structural point of view the improved device has to do with a stationary support structure having opening means, a closure for said opening means slidably mounted in said support structure, vertically disposed levers pivoted on said support structure and disposed in crossed relation, the upper ends of said levers being free, movable toward and from each other while retaining coplanar relationship and having free and movable end thrust contact with a cooperating lower portion of said closure, spring balance units fixed on said support structure, and connection means between the respective lower means of said levers and their respective spring balance units.

A further object of the invention is to provide the upper end of the levers with antifriction free turning rollers, the latter being properly operable in the channel portion of a guide track which is channel-shaped in cross-section and properly secured to the lower rail or frame member of the sash or other closure.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on the adoption and use of lever means characterized by first and second levers disposed in spaced parallelism, a third lever operating in the space between the rst and second levers, all of said levers being substantially L-shaped in general configuration, having their lower ends pivoted on a common base or foundation plate and oiset and converging toward each other and pivotally connected with coacting plungers which operate in spring loaded cylinders, the cylinders being in spaced axial alignment and fixed on the support structure.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a view which is primarily in elevation with portions fragmentarily shown and appearing in section showing the complete sash balance and the manner in which it is constructed and utilized to support the sash in an elevated position. Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure i1 showing the sash lowered to open position and showing the manner in which the levers and other parts function at this stage of operation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view primarily in edge elevation showing the sash balance device of Figure 1 and observing the same in a direction from right to left.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged sections taken on the planes of the lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Figure 1, looking in the directions of the arrows.

Figure 6 is an enlarged View of one of the spring units with parts shown in elevation and section.

Figures 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary ele-- vational views of the lever actuated end of the respective reciprocable plungers.

With reference to Figure 1 the numeral l0 denotes what may be broadly referred to as relatively stationary support structure and which is characterized by a frame construction l2 and a sliding sash i4 having a frame including a bottom rail I6 and a center horizontal rail I 8 which constitutes a convenient operating handle for the sash. The expression sash is used to designate any sliding closure such as a panel, door or the like. The lower frame member I6 is provided with a guide track 20 which is channel shaped in cross-section and has its bight or web 22 secured at 24 to said frame member I6. The rear liange is denoted by the numeral 26 and this is wider or deeper than the narrow front ilange 28.

The lever means is made up of three substantially duplicate levers. The arrangement to the right in the drawings comprises a pair of duplicate rst and second levers 3|! and 32 (see Figure 5) and the remaining single lever to the left is denoted by the numeral 34 in Figure 4. The lever S4 works in the space between the spaced parallel levers 3S and 32 so that when in the position seen in Figure 1 the linearly straight portions are in crossed relationship. It will be observed in this ngure in particular, that the levers are substantially L-shaped in general form. The obtuse angled lower end portions of the levers, denoted at 3e and 38 in Figure 1, are disposed in convergingi relationship andare pivotally mounted'ona 'common' foundation plate 4l) which is flxedly supported. In this connection and in reference to Figure 4 there is a pivot bolt 412"i screwed into the plate 4U and providedi with suitfable spacing washers 44 and 46. Similarly, the

rst and second levers 3Q and 32 areAmoimtedfon"2 a pivot bolt 48 screwed intoy thezplateiiand pro-- vided with suitable spacing washers or collars 50, 52 and 5d respectively. Y

There are two spring balanced units and they are substantially duplicates in construction and itis believed that, for convenienca'the like parts in the respective unitsmay be designated by corresponding or like reference numerals.V To this end each unit comprises a horizontally-disposed cylinderV 5% having a coil;spring 58mou'nted therein. The reciproca-ble plunger E@ is slif able in the cylinder and'has one-end bearing against the coacting end of the coil spring. The plunger to the left is provided" asbest-shown in FigureA 4. with a pair of earsn6262 while the opposite plunger to the right is provided with a single ear 64'. EachY ear is` provided with'. an elongated. linking,r vslot 66` as 1 shown for' example in Figure 6; Under'thi's arrangement the converging lateral end portions 36 and 38 of'fthe respectiveY levers are pivotally connected as at 68-68 to their respective slotted ears or lugs; 62-62 on'the one hand and (51!"A on theVv other hand. This provides the desired self-adapting pivotal connections` between the respective plungers and their` respective levers. Each cylind'eris mounted in place partly by a-at attachment plate 70 and a complemental angle plate 12, the vertical flange of the plate 'I`2fbeing superimposed against and attached to thei plate l0 and thehorizontalflangeresting atopy the cylinders and both parts" 1U and 125 being welded or otherwise joined with the` coacting cylinders; The upper end portions of the respective levers are provided'with laterally offset members 14 providing :suitable mountingsfor the-idling antifriction rollers 16 and 181respectiv'ely.' The 'rollers are shown in the form of sheaves but may be of any appropriate'construction. They are also shown traveling between the `flanges 26 and 28 yof the guide track 20' whilein rolling contact with the web 222 Therefore theroller equipped ends of* the several leversmove toward-'and from each other' againstthe tension of the respective coil springs in the respective cylinders and they travel in the same plane.V It' willtherefore be clear that when the sash or other closure I4 is in the position shown, in Figure l the levers aresubstantially vertical withtheir linearly straight portions'in crossedrelationship, the rollers being..

in conned rolling contact in the guide` tracks:

2B. The lower end portions 38- are in converge ing relationship and are so linked" with the plunge-rs that the plungers operate'toward and from each other in axial alignment. The'springs:

are so balanced that they cushion the action' ofi the plungers with the-precisionfrequired. With this construction-andarrangement the sash may,V

be opened and closed by hand and will, obviously, stay in the position in which it is placed without the aid of extraneous fixtures, brackets, clips or other friction type retainers (not shown).

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice provided no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed asnew is:

1.` A` sliding closure balance assembly for use in connection with a stationary support structure having opening means and a closure for saldi openingmeans slidably mounted in said support structure; comprising vertically disposed levers adapted to be pivoted on said support structure andidisposed in crossed relation, the upper ends of said levers being free and, movable toward and from each other in coplanar relationship and adapted to have free and movable end thrust contact with a' cooperating lowerrportion of the 'stated' closure; spring balancelunitsadapted. to be xedon said supportstructure, operate ingV means affording an operating connection betweenrtheirespective lower ends of said levers and-'.'their respective spring balance units; there being two spring balance units, the latter being in spaced. axial alignment with each other-fand each-unit embodyinga cylinder, aY coil spring inf said cylinder; and a plunger slidable in said cylinderin `end thrust contact with said'spring.

2. A sliding; closure balance assembly: comprise ing.A ai horizontal. guide track adapted Jtof'b'eat: tached to'. and carried 4by ai lowerI portion of 1a closure, said track being channel-shapedV in cross-section?and` being open at oppositeY ends, a pair. of cylinders.. adapted to befxedly mounted on' support i structure therefor: in. axial'. alignment with each other and' with` inner.v adjacent ends spaced'4 apart, a foundation plate adaptedto be fxedl-y mounted onvsaidr. support structure in closeV proximity to the space existing between thef innery ends of' said-.cylinders and situated; on' a plane-parallelVA to-.but outv of` axial. alignment with said cylindersy spring. pressed 4plun'gers slidable-inl said cylinders, vertically disp'osedvlevers having portions disposedfin crossed relation, said levers;V having upper endsl provided with anti-fric#- tion ro'llersconned for operation in theichanfnel'of"saidf'track, the lower ends of saidlevers having obtuseV angular portions superimposedv on andlpivoted to said foundation plate and said end portionsy beingl disposed' in converging relation and; pivotally connected to corresponding inner ends -of their respectivecooperating plu-ngers:

3S In a sash balance' assembly adapted for use inl connection with a sliding-closure-operating in aframe, a pair of-cylinders adaptedto be xed on a stationarysupport structure in axial alignment with each other, a spring in each cylinder; a plungersliding in each cylinder in operating relationv with its` spring,` a foundation plate adapted'to be ixedon said support structure in a Vspace between' inner adj a'cent ends of' said cyl*- inders, rst-andsecond duplicate spaced parallel' levers, a third'lever operating in the space betweenisaid first and second levers, allof said levers .being substantially Lv-shaped and havingAA theirr lower end portions pivotally mountedon said foundation plate and'pivotally connected at.

saidI lower end portions with their respective plungers', rollers mounted for idling on the opposite ends of saidlevers,v anda separate open end.-

ed guide` track channel-shapedin cross-section'l 5 adapted to be mounted on a sliding closure, said Number rollers operating in the channel of said track. 1,435,572 ANGELO COLONNA. 1,639,094 1,858,319 References Cited in the le of this patent 5 2,193,751

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Number 857,557 Hunter June 18, 1907 528,172 1,130,189 Munch Mar. 2, 1915 795 213 1,409,471 Ritter Mar. 14, 1922 10 Name Date Zoldowsk Nov. 14, 1922 Klein Aug. 16, 1927 Young May 17, 1932 Young Apr. 30, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Sept. 15, 1917 France 1- Jan. 2, 19361 

